CSUDH MBRS participants will continue to uphold the high research and standards already established by the MBRS program, and illustrate to students and faculty across the campus how a productive research relationship can be developed and maintained in a teaching oriented institution. Our overall MBRS program objective is to provide biomedical research opportunities for minority students at CSUDH. MBRS faculty provide every opportunity for their students to develop their research potential. Our faculty sustain an environment that fosters student creativity and independence, and that encourages students to continue their biomedical research careers after graduation from CSUDH. Our program urges students and faculty to attend national scientific meetings, submit their research findings for publication, and to apply for additional funding. The MBRS program at CSUDH also encourages the Administration to support the research efforts of all faculty and students, and to maintain an environment supportive of independent thought and scientific experimentation. The subprojects included in our application for continuation of MBRS support provide opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to work closely with faculty on biomedically oriented research projects. Our students are involved in every aspect of their research and present their findings at national or international scientific meetings. They are also coauthors on all publications resulting from their work. The projects in our program support research activities in the following areas: 1) Non- invasive Acoustical Studies of Bone Quality, 2) Identification of Sequences Required for Transcriptional Activation of Leishmania Genes, 3) Sex Determination in Reptiles, 4) Molecular Evolution of Reptiles with Emphasis on Mechanisms of Sex Determination, and 5) Cell and Molecular Biology of Photoreceptors and the Extracellular Matrix. Continued MBRS support of these projects will further enhance the research environment at CSUDH and provide MBRS students with opportunities to participate in sophisticated research programs. Our commitment to increase the numbers of minority researchers in the biomedical sciences continues to strengthen as we achieve our MBRS goals and realize the successes of our students.